


A Reason for Betrayal

by JCHB322



Series: Kylara's Story [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Betrayal, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Fictober, Inspired by Art, Love, Pre-Dragon Age: Origins, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 07:27:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16214315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JCHB322/pseuds/JCHB322
Summary: A one-shot short written for Fictober 2018 giving a possible insight into Loghain's actions at Ostagar. The prompt was: "Will that be all?"





	A Reason for Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> This can be read as a prequel to my long-fic, Kylara's Story, or treated as a separate fic. Up to you! ^_~
> 
> Art that inspired this short fic is by - https://www.deviantart.com/payroo

 

 _Is it me? Am I unworthy of him?_ _What could I have possibly done?_ Anora’s thoughts were as dark as her current mood. Oh, she had heard the whispers… the rumors… yet she had refused to believe them. Until this afternoon. She had been walking through a currently unused section of the castle and then she heard it. Grunts, groans, sighs of… pleasure.

The door wasn’t even shut! The afternoon sunlight filtering in through the curtained windows, allowing her a shadowed view of Cailan – her husband – being ridden lustily by some unknown wench. Anora had frozen in place, unable to tear her gaze away.

The two lovers were far to busy to notice the Queen. Cailan had flipped the woman over onto her back and was now thrusting deeply into her. Her cries got louder.

Tears filled Anora’s eyes and she finally turned and walked slowly away as the woman suddenly screamed out in orgasmic ecstasy.

 _Why? Have I not been a good Queen, a loyal and faithful wife?_ _Why would he do this to me?_ Yes, theirs had been an arranged marriage, but she had been fond of Cailan from the moment she had first laid her eyes on him. True, she was older than her husband. He had just turned twenty and five not that long ago – and she was now almost thirty.

He still acted quite child-like despite his age, turning petulant whenever he was needed to step up and actually be the King. Most of the time, he would hand whatever paperwork had been delegated to him over to her, claiming he was far to busy for such things. Yet, he was very charming and the people of Ferelden loved him dearly.

 _Is it because I haven’t produced an heir for the throne yet?_ She had often wondered about this. Right after their marriage, he would come and visit her on a fairly regular basis, having no problem with **that** particular Kingly duty. Yet as the years began to pass, he would only come to her bedchamber monthly, making sure she kept track her fertile time accurately. What had used to bring her pleasure was now becoming a tedious chore. Perhaps that was why he was now seeking others? Because she didn’t scream out in joy like his current lover just had?

Stewing in these thoughts, she almost bumped into her father.

Loghain glanced down at his daughter. “You look troubled, daughter. Something bothering you?”

Anora quickly wiped away a tear that had threatened to betray her true emotions. “No father, I am fine.” She straightened her spine and smiled at him. “I just think I might be coming down with a cold. I think I will lie down for a while.” She bowed, then quickly and quietly walked around him to head towards her rooms.

Loghain frowned after his daughter had left. Did this have something to do with the rumors he had been hearing about his daughter’s husband? Had Cailan hurt her in some way? Eyes narrowed and lips pursed, he decided he was going to look into this. _No one makes my daughter cry._

 

He walked to Maric’s old office – now Cailan’s – and peered in. No one was in there. _Where is that blasted man? He was supposed to be going over the documents that the Grey Warden commander, Duncan, had given him about darkspawn_ _surging_ _in the south and a possible Blight._ Loghain still didn’t trust these Grey Wardens, but Cailan refused to listen to him on that regard.

Loghain sat down at Cailan’s desk. _I must be careful here,_ he thought. _Everything must look exactly the same when I leave._ He opened one of the drawers on his left. Nothing but some papers with random scribbles and doodles on them. One even had a drawing that resembled Loghain being chased by… he couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be an animal or a darkspawn. _So_ _ **glad**_ _to see he takes his job seriously!_ _If it weren’t for my daughter stepping up for his shortcomings…_ Loghain’s scowl deepened and he closed the left drawer. Then he opened the one on the right.

The first thing he noticed was the Orleasian seal on the topmost envelope and his face flamed red with suffused anger. He carefully opened and read the letter from Empress Celene. _That fool man is in negotiations with Orlais? After all that his father and I did to drive those bastards out?! How_ _ **dare**_ _he go_ _behind_ _my back for this!_ Hands trembling with rage he carefully put the letter back but saw many more below the one he had first seen. _Just how long has this betrayal been going on?_

One more letter, about halfway through the stack caught his attention. It was from Arl Eamon. Loghain removed it very carefully, making note of exactly where it had been in the stack. He opened it and just about exploded.

 

Your Majesty,

 

My men will arrive as soon as possible to bolster your forces. Maker willing, this Blight that the Grey Wardens are hinting at will be ended before it has begun.

Cailan, I beseech you, as your uncle, not to join the Grey Wardens on the field. You cannot afford to take this risk. Ferelden cannot afford it. Let me remind you again that you do not have an heir. Your death – and it pains me even to think of it – would plunge Ferelden into chaos.

And yes, perhaps when this is over you will allow me to bring up the subject of your heir. While a son from both the Theirin and Mac Tir lines would unite Ferelden like no other, we must accept that perhaps this can never be. The Queen approaches her thirtieth year and her ability to give you a child lessens with each passing month. I submit to you again that it might be time to put Anora aside. We parted harshly the last time I spoke of this, but it has been a full year since then and nothing has changed.

Please, nephew, consider my words, and Andraste’s grace be with you.

 

Your Uncle, Eamon

 

 _EAMON! You backstabbing TRAITOR!_ Loghain fumed. _You dare treat_ _ **my daughter**_ _with such disdain?_ _She is the_ _ **QUEEN!**_ _She is the one who has kept this country from falling into chaos, while your nephew barely takes his job seriously! Besides, if half the rumors I’ve been hearing are even true, then perhaps it is your nephew’s fault that my daughter has yet to bear an heir! I’ve yet to see any other woman come up claiming she is carrying or has borne the King’s bastard._

Just then, Loghain heard a noise coming from the bathing chamber attached to the office. He quickly refolded Eamon’s letter – though he had wanted to burn it – slipped it back between the Orleasian letters, and closed the drawer again. He quietly got up from the chair and pushed it back into place. Then he walked over to the wall and pretended to study the framed map with great interest.

Cailan then sauntered into his office, his hair damp from a recent bath, and wearing a silk dressing robe. He stopped in surprise when he saw Loghain standing there.

“Loghain? What are you doing in my office?”

Loghain put a neutral look on his face and spoke calmly. “This was your father’s office before it was yours.”

Cailan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That still doesn’t explain your being in here. I know you and my father were good friends, but he is gone and I am King now. This is now my office.”

Loghain cleared his throat and then replied, “I am sorry, your Majesty, but I merely had wanted to see how things were progressing with the paperwork Duncan had given you.”

“Oh, that. Yes, I’ll be getting right on that. We can’t have a Blight threatening our great nation.” Cailan’s walked over to the bar in his office and poured himself a brandy. “Care to wet your whistle, Loghain?”

“Ah, sure. I’ll take one.” Loghain attempted to smile, but his lips barely curled. Cailan then handed him the glass.

“If what Duncan is saying is true,” Cailan mused and sipped his drink, “then we will need to muster our forces as quickly as possible. I am thinking the old fortress of Ostagar will probably serve as a good location to stop the darkspawn from spreading further north. You were an expert strategist once, what do you think?”

Loghain sipped his own drink. “I suppose it will do. There isn’t much else that far south in the Korcari Wilds that would allow for good military support. All swamplands down there.”

“Good. Then I’ll write a response to Duncan and let him know. We will send our troops there and meet up with his Grey Wardens.”

“Speaking of Grey Wardens, didn’t Duncan recently recruit your half-brother, Alistair, into their ranks?”

“Yesss… I had heard that. Last I knew he was in training to be a Templar. I have no idea why he decided to abandon that for the Wardens. But if that is what he wishes to do with his life…” Cailan took another drink of his brandy. “I still think we might be better off trying to get some more Wardens here. Duncan said the numbers in Fereldan are few. There are Grey Wardens in Orlais…”

Loghain’s hand tightened around his glass.

“I guess I’ll see what Duncan has to say first. So, Loghain, will that be all? I do have a lot of things to do today.”

Loghain quickly downed the rest of his brandy in a single gulp and set the glass as carefully as he could manage on Cailan’s desk. “Yes, your Majesty. That will be all.” He turned and left the office. _For now…_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


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